


Tredecim's Politician

by louis_ass



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, F/F, M/M, Politics, Rebellion, Unrequited Love, poor!harry, probably smut in the future bc who doesn't love smut?, rich!louis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-02
Updated: 2014-05-26
Packaged: 2018-01-06 21:16:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1111611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/louis_ass/pseuds/louis_ass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On what's left over of planet Earth, Louis and Harry are in two different social classes that barely touch yet somehow this provides for them being best friends. Louis' the rich boy who's always been expected to go forth in his father's shoes and into a corrupt political system, but Louis wants to do something that people will remember him for. Harry's been in love with Louis since he learned the meaning of the word and would die for the blue-eyed boy if given the chance. Liam is Louis' cousin who sees some sort of rebellion in Harry and Zayn is Harry's other friend who sees some sort of a god in Liam. Josh and Niall are just that super technology savvy, always happy couple. Together, it's up to them to overthrow power and fight for their right to social justice and to be themselves.</p><p>NOTE: ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> While this is plot is one hundred percent original and my idea, it was partly inspired by books such as the Hunger Games, Uglies, and Divergent in the sense of rebellion and whatnot because who doesn't love a good post-apocalypse rebellion story? 
> 
> I'll be adding more tags as the story progresses, but I'll probably have smut at some point in the fic.  
> Also, please let me know if you see any grammar/spelling mistakes as I did proof-read but not thoroughly. If you see the word 'city' at all, please let me know where so I can correct that. Thanks!

The wind carrying dirt and rustling through the barely alive leaves that hung off of skeleton branches above left a cold sort of barren feeling to the surrounding place. It was obvious that chaos had erupted in the area recently.

Everything seemed to be dead as the man walked through this place which could have once been a grove of trees. His black, rubber boots made a crunching noise over the gravel as his long coat trailed behind him, and he let out a small whistle as he strolled along the desecrated path, head turning upwards to glance about at the trees. A cold smile grew on his face as the dim, gray light lit up the surrounding world. It was all absolutely perfect in his eyes.

Gangly trees with white bark that was peeling and gnarls that were deep within the trees' surfaces stuck out of the ground, their leaves hanging pathetically on for dear life. Some of them seemed to be singed and a thin layer of ash rested upon those trees that were on the outskirts of the once beautiful grove. The once majestic, tall, and proud trees that had stood here were reduced to nothing but sickly beggars, the cold light barely warming them and hope for water slim.

The rubble that crunched beneath the man's soles was mixed in with ash and dust, heavily tainted with something that may have been scarlet in color. If one were to peer closely enough, brittle bone might have been able to be found. Whether it was human bone or animal bone is an important question that most likely would not be able to be addressed with a proper answer.

The air was thick with smog, heavy from the after effects of the fight as well as the years and years of uncontrolled pollution that had taken over the world decades ago. It left a sort of gloominess hanging over the place, making it all that much dreadful.

The man kept walking until he reached a small clearing. There, a group of worn looking men stood, huddling together for warmth against the merciless wind. The man who had come by himself walked over, taking a stance in the middle of the clearing. He cleared his throat, smiling icily once more, before he began to speak.

"Welcome, gentleman. I'd like to congratulate you. This was a battle you fought hard to win, and I'm proud to say you did so and cared not for the costs or how high they might have been."

Some of the men frowned at this, looking a bit sick. The costs certainly had been high. Human blood was shed. Earlier, screams had sounded out throughout this very clearing, and it had been the men who had caused it. People who may have been innocent had died, and the blood was all on their hands.

"As we are all well aware of, there has been an ongoing struggle throughout this world, and especially this nation. Millions of people have died due to people who, unfortunately, do not share our great opinions and the knowledge we hold. They had to be stopped, and I must say we are doing a  _fantastic_ job of stopping them. This battle was definitely a turning point in the ongoing war and it should help to lead us to a wind down and eventual peace."

The last words spoken seemed to have a positive effect on the men, their bodies visually relaxing and faces lighting up a bit. The idea of no war seemed so far-fetched, but it was what they had been fighting for countless years. Ever since the first nuclear bomb had been dropped, things had become messy. It was what had happened here, and it was what would happen everywhere. The men could only hope that their families could find hope and shelter in some of the designated areas with nuclear sheltering. Of course, many of these places were poorly made or did not hold enough room to accommodate everyone, but it was still some sort of reassurance.

"Now, we all understand that we are fighting for peace and the right to a social order that is fair and just; equality for everyone!"

The men cheered at this, fists rising into the air with excitement. Their colleagues would not die in vain. 

However, nobody noticed the glint in the man's eyes or the way his grin seemed just a bit crooked...

~~~

_"Fucking damnit."_

Louis stood in front of the mirror in his room, staring at his reflection with a sense of disappointment. Twenty-two years old and what had he amounted to? Expensive tuxedos, fancy dinner parties, and the mind of a well-groomed, well-informed, dangerously clever politician. Louis absolutely loathed himself.

Louis Tomlinson was son of Mark Tomlinson, a wealthy politician, and Jay Tomlinson, an also wealthy heiress. He had been groomed since birth to be charming, intelligent, funny, charismatic, and an overall seemingly fantastic person. And it was true; Louis  _was_ all that. Unfortunately, he was also sneaky, manipulative, stubborn, and deceitful. In other words, the perfect politician.

Louis had this way about him where he could make friends with anyone if he set his mind to it. But the thing was, Louis was picky. Not just  _anyone_ could be his friend. No, he had high and certain expectations. They were extremely hard to meet and almost impossible, much like the boy himself in many ways. This is why one couldn’t help but wonder how on earth Harry Styles had befriended the blue-eyed boy.

It wasn't that there was anything wrong with Harry. In fact, the boy was sweet and almost angelic in a sort of way. Sure, he was a bit odd, but aren't the best of us? He came from a family that was nowhere near as privileged as the Tomlinson’s. Instead, they were far from it.

Harry came from a poor family that lived on the outskirts of town. Money had always been a bit of an issue for them. They scraped up enough money to barely get by, and that was living in the area that was closer to the outside and the dangers that lurked there. The air wasn’t as good as the better parts of town closer into the Urb. There, there was vague remnants of how things used to be; unclean air happened to be one of them.

However, the curly-haired boy was lucky.

The particular Urb they lived in was small. Most cities were big and spread out through the continent. There wasn’t many, but there was enough. Outside of the walls was too dangerous for any settlements to be made, so people stuck to the insides. Only the very rich could travel to other Urbs and even then it was mostly only those who ran the Urb. All cities had a clear distinction between the rich and poor; no matter the size of the Urb.

In areas where the rich resided, air was fresh, parks clean and beautiful, and the crime rate was significantly low. In the more poor areas, poverty was almost as high as the crime rates and the air was dirty and foul.

Most Urbs tried to segregate the rich and poor from one another, going as far as to set up different schooling systems. However, the smaller cities practiced more tolerance. There wasn’t as many people in Tredecim as there was in other Urbs, so children started school together. However, upon reaching age fourteen, most of the impoverished of the students dropped out and went to work. It was just a sort of thing in life that had become expected.

Harry and Louis had met when they were both fairly young. It was like Louis was some sort of magnet, drawing four year-old Harry in easily. The green-eyed boy was quick to force himself into Louis’ life without the tanned six year-old having a say and they soon became inseparable.

Even now, eighteen years later, the two were incredibly close.

Harry was about a little more than two years younger than Louis and was required to do manual labor, but somehow neither of these things got in in the way of their friendship. The duo knew each other inside and out. Everything that made the other tick was common knowledge between the two. There was no such thing as secrets when it came to Louis and Harry.

Which is why the nineteen year old was aware of Louis’ great distaste for any sort of get-together his parents hosted and always attended with the older man no matter what the occasion, including tonight’s gathering.

“Lou, it’ll be fine,” Harry reassured from where he sat on his friend’s big, comfy bed. “You look fantastic.” And it was true; at least in Harry’s eyes. Louis looked amazing in tuxedos. They were usually tight-fitting, especially around the curve of the other boy’s ass. To say the least, Harry definitely enjoyed the sight of Louis in his dress clothes.

“That’s not the point, Hazz,” Louis groaned out, running a hand through his hair and successfully mussing it up. “These things are pointless. How am I supposed to make any impact or enjoy life when I’m stuck getting dressed up like some doll and forced to attend stupid parties?”

Harry frowned, knowing how much the whole situation distressed Louis. Maybe he couldn’t quite understand it completely seeing as he lived a whole life so completely different than his best friend’s, but he could still try to be sympathetic. Getting up, he moved so he could wrap his arms around Louis and stand behind him, nuzzling his face into the crook of Louis’ neck. “Hey; it’ll be okay, yeah? You can make a difference. Just maybe not tonight,” he muttered against the other’s skin.

Louis sighed, leaning back against his friend, shutting his eyes momentarily and just letting the taller teen hold him. He knew he didn’t have it nearly as rough as Harry, but he had a _chance_ to do something and it was so frustrating that there was such powerful barriers preventing him from doing so. He wanted to make the world a better place for people like Harry. For people everywhere. He wanted to actually do something meaningful with his life and maybe change the system in ways people never thought possible. It was starting to seem almost impossible to Louis, too.

Still, maybe Harry was right. Maybe Louis _could_ make a difference; just not tonight. It was so like Harry to say things like this, though. It was like the boy had utter and complete faith in the older bloke; no matter what. He was like a strong base; no matter how many times Louis’ house was knocked down, Harry was still there, ready to support the rebuilding of something new. Which is why Louis would be utterly lost without his best friend. Nobody else had such a strong belief in him.

“Perfect, you’re going to be utterly perfect,” Harry murmured, holding Louis closer.

Harry would never admit it to Louis, but these moments that he managed to steal where he had the other pressed up closely against him were some of the best he’d ever experienced. He loved knowing that this man he had managed to become so close with fit perfectly against his taller, lankier body; even if he didn’t realize it. In his mind, he and Louis were made for each other; no doubt about it. If only the tanned boy could only see this fact that shone so obviously in Harry’s eyes.

Harry had been in love with Louis since he figured out the meaning of love.

Harry hadn’t had a big freak out or anything when he figured out he was in love with his best friend, a male. No, it had just hit him, but it had also seemed so simple and so _right._

Why wouldn’t Harry fall in love with someone he knew better than the back of his own hand? Someone he knew had the most incredible personality and most beautiful heart? Someone who would stick by his side no matter what?

Louis was Harry’s definition of love, and that’s all that the curly-haired lad needed to know.

Louis nodded, redirecting his attention to the mirror where he and Harry seemed tangled up in each other. And in a way, they were. Their lives had collided to such an extent that Louis couldn’t bear the thought of not having his friend there with him. Still, there was so much that was left hidden between the two, and it caused what Louis would consider to be an uncomfortable drift between them, not that he thought Harry even could notice.

Louis knew there was a whole lifestyle of work Harry could never see. It was where Louis was trained hard, so hard that it made his head spin. He knew names of people and could match those names to their faces, and he had never even met a single one. Hard financial problems had become simple things he could solve in his head. Stage fright was non-existent in Louis’ world; he could give a speech flawless and cause tears to spring forth in people’s eyes. Pretty soon, he would be recognized as ready and called forth to be recognized as his father’s successor; an ambitious new addition to a world of lying cheaters and undermining backstabbers.

And Louis knew things were much different in Harry’s world. While he wouldn’t consider things to be simpler, they just required less brainpower and more muscle power. It was all manual labor for those not as well off as Louis and his family. Louis knew nothing of what he figured would be the sheer torture of it all, but he always noticed that during the summers, especially the past one, Harry had become tan and his body much more toned but also more liable to become suddenly sick. While Harry was lucky he had Louis to get him out of work and care for him when he came under coughing fits and fevers of high degree, Louis couldn’t help but wonder if this was a part of the reason that so many of the lower class people seemed to die deaths caused by strange illness or were unable to survive accidents that didn’t seem so harsh.

Louis’ curiosity about Harry’s world was growing, and maybe it wasn’t such a good thing in the eyes of those with more power than him.

“Alright, big boy; we should get going,” Louis sighed, finally pulling himself out of Harry’s grip and turning to straighten the other’s bowtie. “I’ve got people to make love me.”

Harry laughed, because how could one _not_ love Louis of all people? Taking Louis’ hand, he quickly assured, “You do this Louis. I have utter faith in you.” Then, he gave the boy’s hand a squeeze before letting go, ready to face whatever this was together.

~~~

The ballroom was decorated with glittering, white lights and great chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Ladies dressed in beautifully made ball gowns swayed along with dashing men as chatter and laughter filled the air. The sight made Louis want to puke.

Harry peered around the room, ever in awe of all the fancy clothes and food despite Louis always dragging him to this sort of events. Where Louis was always uninterested, Harry never failed to be impressed by politician get-togethers.

“Come on; let’s go find my parents,” Louis muttered, grabbing a hold of Harry’s wrist and tugging him along, not giving the younger boy a chance to take everything in.

The duo made their way over to Louis’ parents. Mark was busy socializing with a man who must’ve been another politician while his Jay was talking to a boy who looked to be somewhere between Louis’ age and Harry’s.

Upon spotting them, Jay quickly waved the boys over. Louis inwardly groaned, not want to meet another stupid prick that was probably the future politician of some other Urb.

“Louis! This is your cousin, Liam Payne. He’s from Quattourdecim,” Jay quickly shared, smiling warmly as the serious brown-eyes boy standing in front of them.

Louis was quick to stick out his hand for the other boy to take, gripping the other’s hand firmly and shaking in a polite manner. “Please to meet you, Liam. I’m Louis Tomlinson, and this is my friend, Harry Styles,” Louis formally introduced, nodding to Harry.

“Pleased to meet you,” Liam stated formally, eyes flickering to Harry and taking the boy in. It wasn’t in a sexual way of any sort, but more of a seeing what there was to see kind of way. “Your companion is from the outskirts.”

The statement was simple and true, and the way Liam said it was filled more with curiosity than with the disgust Louis would have expected.

“Yes, yes he is,” Louis said slowly, stepping closer to Harry, eyes challenging Liam to say more.

Instead, the boy just smiled, tilting his head to the side. “Nothing wrong with that. He’s awfully tall and healthy-looking for one of the paupers,” Liam mused, studying Harry carefully in a way that had Harry feeling nervous and Louis bristling.

“Yeah, well, I make sure he’s okay; no matter what,” Louis stated coolly, blue eyes meeting brown ones in a silent threat as he grabbed a hold on Harry’s wrist once more, the taller boy looking nervously to Louis.

“Mhm, well, somebody got lucky to have scored such an upper class friend,” Liam shot back, narrowing his eyes at Louis and making Harry squirm uncomfortably.

“Yes, well, it’s easier when school systems aren’t so dreadful elsewhere,” Louis growled, tightening his hold on Harry.

Liam smiled icily, tilting his head to the side. “Some from other Urbs might argue, Louis, that the fact that you have integrated schooling systems is _very_ dreadful,” he stated, voice light despite the topic. It had Louis’ blood boiling.

“Well, as pleasurable as this has been, Harry and I have to go woo some people that actually matter over,” Louis said in a mock cheerfulness, pulling Harry away without a second look at Liam.

Still, that didn’t stop the other bloke from watching them with a strong sense of curiosity, a plan unknown to others starting to formulate in his head.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for such a long wait! I had to build up some confidence again and get through my studies, but now that it's summer I should be able to update a lot more often. Thanks for everyone who showed interest in this and again sorry for the delay!
> 
> Huge thanks to Mimi and Amanda for being my awesome Betas ily guys<33
> 
> Also, sorry if the spacing is a bit off? I wrote this on my phone and did any corrections on word so of course it went all crazy. That, and the paragraphs might seem weird because again, I wrote this on my phone. I'll try to write the next chapter on word so everything looks normal, so I do apologize.

"Hazz, try some of this!"

  
Harry blinked from where he stood, green eyes refocusing on the gorgeous boy, who was holding up some sort of fanciful finger food, in front of him. Obediently, he opened his mouth widely, eyes staying on Louis' face as he plopped the food onto Harry's tongue. Immediately, the younger teen began chewing, a thoughtful look on his face.

  
"Well? Shit or _the_ shit?" Louis questioned, eagerness in his tone and beautiful blue eyes trained on Harry's face hopefully.

  
This was a sort of game the two liked to play during parties like this. They'd both try one sample from the array of finger foods set forth before deciding whether said few was 'shit or the shit'. Usually, the game ended with some snobby looking upper-class urb citizen glaring at them with distaste. Either way, Louis and Harry ended up snorting they were laughing so hard.

  
"Hmm, I vote shit," Harry declared, scrunching his nose up a bit. "Way too rich for my fancy."

Louis frowned, shaking his head. "Are you kidding? Whatever the hell that was, it was _delicious_!"

  
"You're insane! That was absolutely disgusting," Harry laughed, fondness growing at the adorable way Louis pouted. It made his heart swell that his opinion seemed to matter so much to the other boy. Moments like these kept the flame of hope flickering alive in his chest.

Louis let out a small scoffing noise. "It was delicious!" he protested before cracking a small smile and then joining in Harry's laughter, head falling forward and against Harry's shoulder.

  
" _Louis_!"

  
The two boys' heads snapped up, eyes going to where Jay was waving the two over to where she still stood with Liam. Only, a girl had joined them, doe-like eyes trained on Louis, a look on her face that made Harry squirm with uneasiness.

  
Sighing in annoyance, Louis pulled Harry by the boy's elbow, leading him over. The younger boy kept his green eyes trained on the new appearance, ignoring Liam's chocolate brown eyes boring into his face. Nothing was more important than a potential threat to Louis.

  
"Louis, this is Miss Eleanor Calder," Jay introduced excitedly, eyes lighting up as she looked between the two.

  
Eleanor held out her hand for Louis to kiss, nails cut perfectly and dainty appearing rings adorning her elegant fingers. Her whole appearance is put-together, a dark green dress made of velvet that clung to her curves, makeup done to perfection. Still, her air screamed dangerous. To Harry, she was a rose; beautiful in a way that would inevitably prick you and make you bleed.

  
Louis let go of Harry in order to take her hand, politely placing a kiss on the top of her hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss Calder," he stated politely, ignoring the way Harry's gaze was trained desperately on him, wanting those blue eyes he loved so much trained on him instead of the Eleanor girl.

  
"Pleasure's all mine," Eleanor purred, grinning wolfishly as Louis pulled away.

  
"Why don't you two dance?" Jay suggested, voice high pitched and excited, eyes flitting between the two. It was obvious that Jay thought this was a match made in heaven. And why not? Both were from extremely influential families; if this worked out it would be all power in the Tomlinson corner.

  
Louis scrunched his nose slightly, eyes sliding over to his upset looking best friend. However, before he had a chance to politely decline, Eleanor had wrapped a dainty hand around his wrist. "It'd be an honor, Missus Tomlinson," she gushed out, letting an overly-girly giggle escape past her lips.

  
Jay seemed absolutely thrilled at this, biting her bottom lip harshly to contain her excitement. "Please, El dear; I've told you to call me Jay!" She exclaimed before pushing the two into one another, completely missing her son's look of uncertainty.

  
Harry, however, was very eager to catch it. Selfishly, he wanted some sort of sign that Louis wasn't happy with this and that he'd rather be by Harry's side instead of dancing with some rich bimbo. And it wasn't as though Harry _wasn't_ used to this; it just never got easier for him. Not with the way he loved Louis so much his heart could burst from the emotion. He always felt helpless watching his love dance with girl after girl; it made him sigh and take on the appearance of a sad, kicked puppy.

  
~~~  
"Just so we're both clear, I'm gay."

  
Those were the first words to escape past Louis' lips once they were far away and pressed chest to chest, dancing around the ballroom floor. They had been dancing in a strangely comfortable silence for the duration of the song. Louis hadn't wanted the girl to get the wrong idea and to think there was a chance in hell he'd _ever_ give her the time of day.

  
Eleanor rolled her eyes at him, scoffing slightly. "Could've guessed as much with the way Curly was staring at you like you dancing with me was a personal offense," she remarked in a snarky tone. Despite the way she made the comment, the pretty brunette had a smile spread across her face, one genuine enough for Louis to almost believe. Of course, he knew firsthand that children of politicians knew how to pull off perfect smiles that could fool anyone. They were, obviously, the future set of politicians; they had to be able to.  
"Besides, like I'd ever be interested in you. My girlfriend wouldn't be very pleased."

  
Louis' eyebrows shot up at this, and his lips tugged up in half a smile. He was only half surprised at this revelation; many future politicians were some sexuality other than hetero, though girls tended to keep it to themselves as daddy liked using them as marriage pawns. True, there weren't any current politicians who had married partners of the same sex and it was expected that you didn't do such an act, but Louis had a feeling that this wouldn't be the case for long. With a new generation sweeping in, changes were bound to be made. He could only hope that this would include politician partners.

  
"Well, good for you then," Louis mused, blue eyes sparkling. "Though, why were you so eager to dance with me?"

  
Eleanor shot a dazzling smile his way as the song started to end. "Tell you what; I'll reveal all if you agree to another dance with me?"

  
Louis hummed, pausing a moment to consider it. Really, he'd rather not have to spend any more of tonight dancing with this girl. He knew he'd probably get stuck with others who he'd have to put off, too, but he was curious. Eleanor hadn't had a parent insisting she spend time with Louis, so why be so willing to dance if she had a girlfriend somewhere? Louis knew for a fact that he wouldn't have been.

  
"Fine," Louis agreed, clutching onto the girl, eyes momentarily drifting to where Harry was. The boy was pouting a bit, looking like a grumpy kitten, but other than that he was completely fine. Louis could explain everything to his best friend after this last dance.

  
Eleanor smiled in a way Louis assumed was supposed to be sweet but came out more wolfishly.

  
The fast music started up again, a mixture of classical (more like _ancient_ ) music and more upbeat tunes from _decades_ ago. Their dancing also started up again, a mixture of the same era styling of music. It was less filthy then the later period of time but more sensual than the earlier one. It was definitely more complicated and harder than either, causing Louis to practically _loathe_ dancing.

  
Eleanor kept close, hips trying to away against his as they spun around the room. After a few moments where Louis was tempted to call the dancing off and break away from the odd girl, she finally spoke.

  
"Have you ever considered our society's norms to be, err, _inefficient_?"

  
It wasn't really what Louis was expecting to hear, quite honestly. Who questions "society's norms"? Crazy people who want to get- well, Louis wasn't quite sure of _what_ exactly happened to people who went against the system. He wasn't at that level of his political clearance yet and wouldn't be until he assumed his role as chief politician in Tredecim. If he had to guess, though, it'd be nothing too good.

  
"I don't," Louis stated in a stiff tone. "I think it's best if _you_ don't either. Or, at least don't voice your thoughts in a place so _public_ for Christ’s sake."

  
Eleanor rolled her eyes, a soft sigh falling from her lips. "They can't hear us, and even if they can they don't care. We're not powerful enough to do anything yet; they think they can bribe us into the same life style that they and ourselves live today," she pointed out as if it were the most obvious thing. "It's probably what occurred concerning them at an earlier point in their lives."

  
Louis arched his brows, lips turning downwards once more. "If that's so true then why're you bothering telling me?"

  
"Because our generation is different," Eleanor stated indifferently, as if it was the answer explained _everything_. Which it definitely _didn't._

  
"And why the fuck are we any different than our parents?" Louis demanded. This chick was fucking batty, spewing out some shit about everyone giving in and then insisting their generation was "different". He glanced over at his shoulder, looking for Harry. He definitely would rather be safe with the taller boy than stuck here with some nut job.

  
" _Because_ ," Eleanor began speaking again, patience obviously being tested as she narrowed her eyes at him. "We're _communicating_ with each other. All the Urbs are _uniting_. And we're figuring out the technology a lot earlier. We have people breaking codes and getting into secret files. _We can take them down_."

  
Louis must've looked pretty doubtful because seconds later Eleanor had begun to rant again.

  
"This is _it_. We've got nothing to lose and literally _everything_ to gain. We're the next generation. We've been trained harder, better; we're like a _super_ generation. Smarter, more physically fit, more charismatic, better speakers and debaters, more technology savvy; we can do this."

  
Louis listened with narrowed eyes. He could sort of see where Eleanor was coming from, but now he was being nagged by an even bigger problem.  
"And you are telling me this because...?"

  
Eleanor flashed Louis the best smile she could muster up. It was pretty clear she had intentions regarding him and that terrified him just a _tad_.

 

"You're one of the best speakers and debaters in the Urbs. We _need_ you on our side," Eleanor began, words quick and almost tumbling together. "We have brains, brawn, technology, facts-everything but a true _politician_."

  
Louis frowned deeply, nose scrunching. This was utter _bullshit_. "So you want me to lead you and your little revolt or something?" He scoffed out, frown evident on his face.  
Eleanor rolled her eyes, demeanor stiff and cold. It was obviously she wasn't enjoying this either. That fact sort of made Louis feel a bit better.

  
"You wouldn't _lead_ us," Eleanor said through gritted teeth, obviously annoyed. "We have someone working on getting us the kind of person we need as a leader. No, we need a spokesperson. Someone brave enough to step into the public eye-face having to be constantly on the run from facing the death penalty. Convince people that our cause is just."

  
Louis felt his stomach drop. He was being asked to make speeches for a group of people against the current form of government. He was pretty sure any sign of treason ended up in death or torture. He'd been raised to think that traitors were the worst kind of scum and needed to be punished so others wouldn't dare to attempt rebelling.  
Louis knew exactly what he'd be getting into if he said yes.

  
This is exactly why Louis abruptly pulls away, leaving Eleanor standing bemusedly by herself as he went to go find Harry.

  
~~~

  
"Hey, Harry, right?"

  
The deep voice startled Harry from where he stood, looking a bit lost without his Louis. Jay had long since abandoned him to go socialize with some of the other wives of politicians. He was used to it, though, as it was her duty to make nice. He just hadn't realized he had been standing there for so long.

  
Looking up, Harry was met with a pair of intense, dark eyes. Swallowing, he nodded, feeling nervous. While Louis was kind, sweet, and utterly perfect, not all politicians played nice when it came to those who were 'below' them, so to say. Harry had no idea if Louis' cousin was about to make his life miserable until the blue-eyed boy returned, or be kind to him.

  
It seemed that there was another option.

  
"I desperately need to speak to you."

  
Furrowing his brows, Harry looked bemusedly at Liam. He wanted to ask what business Liam had that included 'desperately needing to speak to him' but a large hand enclosed around his wrist, pulling him along and out of view of the dance floor.

  
Suddenly, Harry was extremely uneasy.

  
"Maybe we should wait for Lou," Harry squeaked out, too petrified to pull away from Liam. Jesus, he was scared. He wanted his Louis to come save him.

  
Rolling his eyes, Liam scoffed, shaking his head and only pulling him closer. "I'm not going to hurt you, kid," he grumbled, big, brown eyes focused on a secluded area in front of them. "You're too much of an asset for that."

  
Now, Harry was extremely confused.

  
"Um, I really think I should go find Louis," Harry rambled out, eyes flicking nervously to the dance floor in hopes of finding said boy.

  
Liam sighed, shaking his head. "Louis' busy having a chat similar to the one you're about to have," the older boy said with impatience.  "Just come with me. I'm not going to do anything to you. I just want to talk, okay?"

  
Harry felt extremely uncomfortable but had no idea how to say no to a superior. Slowly, he nodded, but looked wishfully back at the dance floor, in time to catch a glance of Louis' seemingly interested face.

  
So Louis wouldn't care or notice if he was gone. He was too preoccupied with _Eleanor_.

  
Harry pretended that hadn't stung half as much as it did.

  
Liam put a firm hand around Harry's arm, looking at him quizzically for a moment before simply starting to tug him along.

  
Harry just let him, in no position to argue. He was lucky to even be allowed at such a party; lucky that Louis broke rules and pushed buttons and stood up for what was _right_. He knew it was something the older boy would _always_ do; no matter the circumstances. The thought filled Harry with pride and a sense of safety. He'd never have to worry about Louis when he became a politician. Only pray that the young man didn't forget him.

  
Liam continued leading them to god knows where, hand firm on Harry's bicep. They reached the edge of the dance hall to where two large oak doors stood proudly, shut tightly once all the guests were in to keep the unwanted out. The things were a bother to open; Harry knew from experience. One time, Louis had convinced him to help him try to open the damn things during their second political gathering. They had managed to get the ancient doors open easily enough, but the noise the wood made as it scraped against the floor had caused a ruckus. The resulting outcome had been all eyes on them, and a scolding from an extremely mortified Jay.

  
Liam, however, didn't even attempt to work the doors. Instead, he moved over to the other side of them that was closest to the corner of the gigantic room. Humming to himself, he used his index finger to swipe a line against the wall, as though he was unlocking an electronic panel.

  
Harry figured that maybe Liam wasn't all there in the head if he thought some stucco wall was one of those things Louis knew how to work so well.

  
To his utter surprise, said panel appeared not even moments later and Harry watched Liam fiddle around with it until a metal door appeared out of nowhere. A few more small beeping noises and the metal slipped away completely, leaving an exit for Liam to pull the gangly ciuem through.

  
Harry made a mental note to tell Louis about the escape route. Maybe he wouldn't have to stand miserable while Louis was forced to dance with various politicians' daughters.  
Liam began to hum to himself, looking from left to right before he led Harry down the dark corridor and towards the garden that stood proudly outside.

  
Jay often boasted of its roses; the best roses in Tredecim. Not that many outside of the politicians could afford to plant roses or had the technology skills required for the up keeping of them.  
  
Liam must've been here before at some point, Harry figured, because it was almost unnerving how familiar he was with this place, leading his companion to a secluded, dark corner of the vast garden.

  
Harry couldn't help but feel a bit like a lamb being led to the slaughter for some reason; the look in Liam's eyes was so off putting and almost inhuman.

  
It was paired with the way Liam slid his hand to tightly grip Harry's wrist as he tugged him down into a bench, jaw clenched and mouth set in a firm, determine line. It was clear that this politician meant _business_.

  
"Harry, you've been friends with Louis for a while, haven't you?" Liam began to question, not moving at all save for the movement of his mouth as he spoke, the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, and the occasional blink of his eyes.

  
Obediently, Harry nodded, recalling some lessons in law he had sat through once with Louis. It was past his requires ciuem education but occasionally he was allowed to listen to Louis' Magister teach lessons. He could recall one lesson about what to do if caught in political trouble, to only give what was required and to offer no more, speaking as little as you possibly could. Harry intended to put this into action.

  
Liam's next question matched Harry's thoughts in an almost creepy way, leaving Harry involuntarily flinching.

  
"You've sat in, before, on his lessons then? Perhaps receiving an education level many more times stronger than any normal ciuem yet still less than a politician?"  
Again, all Harry offered was a dutiful nod. Liam didn't seem to mind, too set on getting whatever words he needed to say out.

  
"But you are aware, then, of the state this world has found itself in? You're able to compare your home life to that of Louis'? You can see how horrifyingly _wrong_ this all is? That something _needs_ to be done?"

  
Suddenly, Harry felt extremely uncomfortable. Whether it was the statue like stance of the older boy, his tone, their seclusion, or simply the topic of choice, he couldn't exactly say. However, he wanted to run, run far away from this broad man and hide behind Louis, safe from the world's horrors.

  
It wasn't an option, though, and Liam repeated the question, slightest hint of annoyance lacing his voice as he was forced to repeat himself. Harry only shrugged, unsure of how else to reply. Liam made a frustrated noise that sounded curiously like a combination of a sigh and a groan. Harry shrunk back at this, still fearful of being alone with a superior that wasn't Louis or his mother.

  
"Louis and I live this lavishly posh lifestyle. We're raised wasting food, learning complicated technology use along with the best education offered, how to manipulate those lacking our intelligence, and that the only thing that matters is being on top. We make the laws but we don't follow them. Surely you've noticed the ruling concerning ciuems only being allowed two children? One of each gender? Take a look at Lou's family; can't say they're following the rules, can we?"

  
Harry paused at this, frown evident on his face. That was true. After suffering food shortages for years, about three centuries ago a law was enforced stating only one child was allowed. It was based on an old law from an ancient country called China that ceased to exist. About a century and a half ago, the law was changed so that each family could give birth to one female child and one male. The Tomlinson's had two sons and about five girls. And, now that he thought about it, he'd seen many politicians with more than two children or occasionally two of the same gender.

  
Slowly and ashamedly, Harry shook his head.

  
Liam smiled sadly before continuing.

  
"Louis isn't the only one. I've two older sisters. Nothing happens to us because we hold the power. We, however, manipulate you lot. We take your emotions and twist them to our advantages. We focus in on causes that seem to matter to you when in reality we're simply _hiding_ things."

  
Liam's voice had become lower, deeper, and more passionate. His stance hadn't changed, but his eyes have widened, become more animalistic. Harry couldn't help but think of a rabid dog he had witnessed on the outskirts of Tredecim when he was a young boy. He wanted to turn away but was frozen in Liam's gaze.

  
"Soon, all the reforms that occurred in the past dozen or so centuries will be destroyed. Normal ciuems won't receive an education; it'll be for the privileged only. Food will be like gold to you but dirt to us. Clean air projects will be limited to the inner Urb and you'll have to suffer the pollution that was left over for us centuries ago and whatever pollution we create. You will become nothing and we will be everything. The fighting, the protests, the sacrifices our ancestors will have made will be for _nothing_ and the blame rests in the corruption of our political system and of the traditions that have been going on since as far back as Caesar, maybe even further. All of this will be _nothing_ in your eyes because you'll become nothing but cheap labor we'll exploit. Do you comprehend that, Harry? Everything that is happening around you now will cease to exist and may cease to ever exist again if nothing happens to retard or completely end it."

  
Liam finished speaking, tone having raised itself, mouth agape, eyes brighter, and chest heaving more quickly.

  
Harry was dumbstruck. Never before had he been told this information. It seemed like something not even Louis had clearance to and his father was Tredecim's leading politician. It made him sick to his stomach and nervous as hell. He had no idea why Liam was bothering telling him this, and he voiced this thought.

  
Liam simply laughed manically, and Harry felt so extremely scared that he was frozen, unable to move had he bothered attempting to.

  
"Because, Harry, you're going to lead the force that takes down our political systems and sets us all free. All of our futures are going to rest in your hands, Dux."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please feel free to leave positive comments, /constructive/ criticism (please don't be an ass about it k thanks), and kudos (because i love those<3)! If you want to contact me via tumblr, my username is louis-ass-is-fine.tumblr.com and I love getting messages so hmu whenever, darlings!<3

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to let me know if you'd like me to continue this fic. I love getting comments/kudos and you can always send me your opinion at louis-ass-is-fine.tumblr.com; thank you so much for reading! I hope it was alright(:


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